CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS…Olivier Fleurot

Communicators have always known that good writing, the graceful turn of a phrase, can make a document sing, tell a good story, bring facts to life in a compelling way. In the Conversation Age, content is even more critical. Through our blog Critical Conversations, we want to share with you our raison d’etre in today’s media-driven world.

MSLGROUP is the strategic communications, PR and events network within Publicis Groupe. MSLGROUP comprises everything from social media strategy for Fortune 100 clients to production and programming of the Monaco Media Forum, attended by some 400 executives.

And what do we think of our charge? We enjoy our mix of businesses because they each contribute to information-sharing and thought leadership; they move ideas forward, and markets, too. Virtual is the yin to the in-person yang. We live in an always-on world where a CEO’s tweets give texture and nuance to a keynote. Enough about us, we have a job to do, and that’s to help you steer through the maze of communications technologies available today. At the same time, we are here to help you rethink your business strategy, indeed your very assumptions about consumption and growth.

We count five critical shifts causing you to reset your business models:

Trust Shift. Following the financial crisis and the BP oil spill, erosion of trust in corporations and institutions continues at all levels, in almost all industries.

Power Shift. Everyday people, and that’s you and me, are in the driver’s seat. Our friends tell us more about what to buy than an expensive TV commercial.

Technology Shift. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest by population (500 million netizens and counting).

Geography Shift. From North and West to South and East.

Values Shift. From endless waste to ethical consumption, and from me-first to we as a community, it’s a post-materialist age.

No one person, no single department, can handle all these issues at once. These shifts require all departments to work together, from business strategy to IT, from human resources to marketing. As your trusted advisor, we can help you develop your holistic and unique approach to the conversation age.